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February 17, 2008
Trashing Computers Does Not Compute.
In our ever increasing electronic society, eWaste is a green issue requiring a perception change. eWaste is currently flying under the radar as the media focuses on the use of CFLs, hybrid cars and carbon footprints. All of these are important and good but we’d like to shift the focus for a minute to the millions of cell phones, PDAs, and computers that end up dumped (toxically) in our landfills every day.
Working without paper and communicating electronically does help our environment, but what do you do when your computers, PDAs and cell phones are at their end of life? (And haven’t we all seen our fair share of timely, and untimely, death with our personal electronics?) Have you always done the right thing and given those components a proper send off?
As it turns out, electronics do have an eco-useful and important afterlife. Rich in many minerals, such as gold, copper, aluminum, and palladium, “eMining” electronic waste reduces the need to gouge the planet. It is eco-friendly mining in the best sense. There are also several hazardous materials in our departed units that need proper neutralization. Rather than being illegally dumped and sent back into the ecosystem as toxic ghosts, these units should be turned in to a legitimate eWaste recycler for proper disposal.
At C3B we are very pleased to be leading this communication initiative in our region through our partner, ECCOpartners.org. As legitimate, government sanctioned eWaste recylers, they can safely and securely dispose of eWaste without the worry of identity theft or illegal shipping of components to third world counties to pollute the fragile environments there.
Do the right thing and give your electronics a proper end-of-life disposal. Most big box office supply stores, like Staples and Office Depot offer electronics recycling services. You may also check with your local/regional Solid Waste Management District to find a computer recycler in your area.
